NS Budget Deficit a Manageable One-CUPE Nova Scotia

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 24, 2009) - The president of CUPE Nova Scotia says the deficit announced today in the NDP government's first budget should be a manageable one and is in keeping with what's happening in the rest of the country.

Danny Cavanagh says, "The economic outlook for Nova Scotia, while improving slightly, is still worse than what was assumed in the previous government's May, 2009 Budget. Like most other governments in Canada, our province is facing big declines in revenue this year and lower revenues than they had expected last year.

"Following the requirements of the Provincial Finance Act would force the government to significantly cut public spending or increase taxes in the coming years. CUPE has argued for years now that there are no good economic reasons for balanced budget type legislation such as the Provincial Finance Act," says Cavanagh.

"In fact," he adds, "sticking with this legislation would cause the provincial government to make the province's economic situation much worse rather than better."

Cavanagh says his union is also looking forward to bargaining with a provincial government that actually believes in free collective bargaining.